Since the age of two Esther Martinez has been tapping her foot to the beat! At 12 she joined Pennsylvania Youth Theater and met Yu Hong of Beijing Dance Academy, a former Principal Dancer at Cincinnati Ballet. Hong got her on pointe and made her fall in love with ballet! “I loved doing contemporary dance, but ballet became my passion,” says Martinez. Two years later she was offered a full merit scholarship to study at the Ballet Guild of Lehigh Valley and perform soloist roles with Pennsylvania Youth Ballet. At age 16 she continued to study with Hong at his studio Pennsylvania Classical Ballet and joined Repertory Dance Theater to perform soloist roles with Miller Symphony Orchestra and study with Trinette Singleton, former Joffrey star.  At one point, Martinez wasn’t sure she would make a name for herself in ballet. But at age 17 she received the invitation of a lifetime to move to New York City and study with Fabrice Herrault, of Paris Opera Ballet, at his private studio with a select group of dancers, including Aran Bell. After almost two years with Herrault she joined Joffrey Ballet Concert Group on tour to study with Artistic Director Davis Robertson, former Joffrey principal dancer and Ballet Mistress, Stacy Caddell, former NYCB principal dancer. At Joffrey she performed Desmond Richardson’s original choreography with Complexions Contemporary Ballet at the Park Avenue Armory Gala, Battlefield by Robert Battle of Alvin Ailey, Gerald Arpino’s Kettentanz, Light Rain and Viva Vivaldi,Ballerina pas de deux choreographed by Stacy Caddell, and Serenade by George Balanchine.